Package and package handling means for airplanes



Dec. 21, 1937. I K ARNDT 2,102,604

PACKAGE AND PACKAGE HANDLING MEANS FOR AIRPLANES Filed Jan. 5, 1935. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 d ff il ATTORNEYS K. ARNDT 2,102,604 PACKAGE AND PACKAGE HANDLING MEANS FOR AIRPLANES Dec. 21; 1937;

Filed Jan. 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR AT'rdRNEYs Patented Dec. 21, 1937 9 UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE.

I PACKAGE AND PACKAGE HANDLING DIEANS FOR AIRPLANES Kurt Arndt, Detroit, Mich. Application January 5, 1935, Serial No. 493

;12 Claims. (01. 244-131) This invention relates to airplane package pickup or refueling systems and is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 710,628, filed- February 10, 1934, wherein a power car for-carrying the package to be picked up, and an elongated rockable runway therefor is shownand described. The broad object of the invention therein described is to eliminate horizontal shock in transferring fuel or other weighty matter to a plane in In flight.

The broad object of the present invention is to eliminate the vertical "shock in transferring fuel or other weighty material to a plane in flight, the method, apparatus and teachings of the above referred to application being all substantially retained herein with the exception of the shape of the package and the' runway package and car stop.

More particularly it is the object of this invention to provide a package to be picked up having the shape and characteristics of an airfoil whereby when sufllcient speed is imparted thereto it will support itself in the air.

Another object is to provide a power car for transporting the package along a runway at speed, thepackage supports being such that the airfoil shape of the package isgiven an initial angle of incidence similar to that of an airplane wing when taking off.

30 A further object is to providemeans for drawing the airfoil package against or partially within a plane in flight in-such manner that it does not create an undue drag, the pick-up harness including a fixed projection atop the package which is adapted for insertion through the bottom of the. airplane fuselage whereby draining of the package may then be accomplished.

Another object is toprovide a stop for the car at the end of the runway and a further stop in in the form of bumper arms for the package itself in case contact with the plane fails.

Other objects including the method of operating the pickup system will become hereinafter more fully apparent as reference is had to the .5 accompanying drawings, wherein my invention ing on a track section, the package being in place thereon, and the package being broken away for illustrative purposes;

Fig. 6 is "a front elevation .of the showing of Fig. 5;

Fig. 'l is a top plan view of the showings of Figs. 5 and 6;

Fig.- 8 is a diagrammatic partial vertical section through an airplane fuselage showing my improved package or fuel tank fixed thereagainst 1 for draining, and

Fig.9 is a modification of the illustration of Fig. 8 showing the fuel tank within the contour. of the fuselage.

More specifically, I indicates a ship having a runway 2 pivotally supported. thereabove by a tower 3'and having reciprocable connections with the runway at 4 to cause the runway to rock in 'counteractance of the pitching of the ship I, at

sea. This runway 2 is a relatively light structure 5 composed of the track rails 5 and bracing 6.

1 The rails 5 are split horizontally toward one end and spring means 1 are provided to draw the upper and lower parts together as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4' to constitute a brake for the wheels of the car 8. Abumper 9 is also provided at each end of the track, butany other desired form-of brake may be substituted without departing from my invention.

The car 8 may, to accord with this invention, be poweredin any manner by which it may be rapidly accelerated and then maintained at a substantially constant speed over a substantial length of the runway 2. As illustrated, an electric motor "I is carried directly by the car and is adapted to be energized upon the approach of an airplane, as for instance in the manner described in my copending application Serial No. 710,628; previously referred to. The car 8 has upstanding supp r s ll so constructed as toprovide a proper angle of incidence for its package I6, as will be described.

The car 8 is also provided with arms 1!, spring operated by a. trip device ill to assume the position ll whereby to'retain the package It against loss at the end of the track 2 in case contact with the airplane fails for any reason. This trip device 13 may also be suitably connected to the wheel brakes l5. l

'The package to be picked up is a fuel tank I O of particular form. and construction. The desired shape is that of an airfoil to which is added a stabilizing fin II. A sturdy projection l8 extending outwardly of the tank I6 serves several purposes. It carries a bracket I! at its outer endfor attachment to a pick-up loop 1! which 55 is held in expanded position by the fork arms 2| rising from the car 8 whereby the hook of an airplane may engage it. Below the bracket I9 is a flange 22 adapted to find support against the iusela9 ge of a plane 23, as illustrated in Figs.

and

The projection l8 extends through thetop of the tank, being rigidly secured thereto, for rigid attachment to the bottom of the tank and to bracing partitions 24 thereto in order that there will be no danger from localized stresses. These partitions 24 also serve to prevent surging of the fuel which would tend to upset the equilibrium of the tank in flight. The base of the projection I8 is ported at 25 in order that a hose 26 may be properly inserted into the tank.

The operation is as follows: Upon the approach of a plane flying a course directly above and parallel with the runway 2, the motor i is energized, causing rapid acceleration of the car 8 with the tank l6. After the attainment of a speed slightly less than that of the airplane, the speed of the car is constant for a substantial time during which contact by a hook lowered from the plane is made with the loop 20. This speed is insufiicient to cause the tank I6 to'leave its support, that is, it will not fly at the maximum speed of the car under power of the motor Ill. As the plane overpasses the car and tank, slack is taken out of the line 2|! and the speed of the tank I6 is increased to living speed by the connection with the plane. It will thereupon leave its supporting car and travel with the plane without undue shock in either horizontal or vertical direction. The car 8 will thereafter be stopped by its brakes, previously described, and if connection with the plane fails the container will be stopped also by the arms l2. After the pick up, the container is drawn upwardly by any suitable hoisting means as is well known in the art to a position illustrated in Figs. 8 or 9, the contents drained, and the container released. The airfoil shape makes it possible to drain the contents without taking the container internally of the plane because of the small drag, and this shape also makes it possible to release the package without destruction upon hitting the water (or ground) because of the glidingefiect.

The advantages of the system thus described can be readily understood. The airfoil is indicated as designed more particularly for service in re-fueling planes at sea, although it is usable otherwise. In such service, to be .practical, the

volume of fuel transferred is of considerable amount, so that the weight ofthe'container with its contentsconstituting the package to be transferred-is fairly large. It is because of this that the use of an airfoil for the purpose is made possible, since it permits the development of speed conditions on the carrier to a point approaching that of the plane in flight without setting up the lifting action which the angle of incidence of the wings would provide in the absence of a load. Hence, it is possible to support the airfoil on the carrier without any tethering connection between them for preventing lift, and

at the same time bring the speed of the carrier to a point approaching that of the plane, prior to the pick-up of the airfoil by the plane. Obviously, therefore, the airfoil, at the moment of pick-up, is advancing at a speed approaching that at which the angle of incidence will become active as a lifting agency, with the result that when the pick-up occurs, the greater speed of the plane will supp y the additional speed to the terial drag due to the fact that the differential in speed between the plane and theairfoil (on the carrier) is comparatively low in value, so that it can be readily absorbed by the plane without shock. I

Since the plane pick-up structure is trailing relative to the plane, it will be readily understood that the instant the contact is made and the lifting begins, the weight of the package is then transferred to the plane and made active at the trailing end of a lengthy connecting cable then extending at a trailing angle to the perpendicular. Consequently, when'this additional it would be possible for the load to drop 'sufliciently to contact with the ground or the sea, as the case may be, unless the pick-up structure were manipulated to take up slack at the instant ofpick-up and at a rate equal to that of the development of the drop, an operation that is difficult of control. 4

The present invention meets the conditions by its airfoil shape. with the speed of the airfoil suflicient to raise it from the carrier, due to the activity of the angle of incidence of the .wings, it will be understood that since the airfoil speed is not decreased-it is'lncreased by the forward swing referred to-the angle of incidence activity will continue so that the airfoil takes on, for a short period, the characteristics of a glider; hence, instead of falling at the moment of transfer of load weight, the airfoil'becomes momentarily self-sustaining without material drop, so that slack can be taken up rapidly without consideration of the weight, and thus permit the weight to be added to the plane without material shock, even though the weight be of considerable value.

The result is due to the fact that the angle of incidence of the airfoil wings is such that it does not become active as a lifting agency-until the pick-up has added the additional speed provided by the plane in flight, but when that speed is attained, the wings themselves serve to support the airfoil similarly to the action of a glider, so that the soaring of the airfoil during this period not only prevents the tendency to fall, but permits taking up of the cable slack to controllably add the weight of the airfoil package to the plane without shock. At the same time, the arrangement permits the reduction in the speed differential between plane and airfoil to a low value so that when the pick-up takes place; no material shock is had, and the speed differential is rapidly eliminated due to its low value at such time. Consequently the load can be transferred without shock and without liability of the load itself setting up hazards by falling after passing from the container, a condition that is of'importance in re-fueling operations at sea; should the load fall into the water, it would instantly become a drag upon the plane itself and present the possibility of plane disaster.

- is being carried bythe carrier, said loop consti- What 'I claim 'is':- 1. A container having the shape of an airfoil adapted for use with an airplane pick-up system, a stabilizing fin integral therewith, a rigid projection extending from rigid attachment to the bottom thereof through and outwardlyof the top thereof, and means associated with said projection by which said container may be picked up by an airplane in flight.

2. A container having the shape of an airfoil adapted for use with an airplane pick-up system, a stabilizing fin jection extending from rigid attachment to the bottom thereof through and outwardly of the top thereof, a bracket secured to the top of said projection, and a loop secured to said bracket for engagement by a hook dangling from an air! plane in flight.

'3. A container having the shape of an airfoil adapted for use with an airplane pick-up system, a stabilizing fin integral therewith, a rigid projection extending from rigid attachment to the bottom thereof through and outwardly of the top thereof, partitions internally of said container for preventing surging, said partitions being secured to said projection whereby loading transmitted to said container by said projection is distributed throughout said container and partitions, and a pick-up loop secured to the top of said projection for engagement by a hook depending from an airplane in flight.

, 4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said projection is hollow for the reception of a hose therethrough and into said container.

5. The combination set forth in claim 3 during travel over saidrunway, means for rapidly decelerating said car near the end of said runway, and arms on said car adapted to retain said container on said car during such deceleration in case of failure of attachment by said hook during travel over said runway.

'7. In an airplane pick-up system, an elon-- gated runway, a carrier movable along said run- Way, a container of airfoil shape and including wings and a stabilizing fin with the wings of flight-sustaining characteristic, and supports on the carrier for supporting the container thereon with the wings at an angle of incidence insufficient to cause lifting of the container during advance of the carrier, means for moving said carrier at speeds approaching those of an airplane in flight, whereby differential in speed between contain-er and plane will be rapidly eliminated and such elimination will render the wings active for sustaining flight of the container.

8. A system as in claim 7 characterized in that the.carrier includes upwardly projecting arms adapted to removably support a loop connected with the container while the container integral therewith, a rigid protuting the container pick-up element and adapted to be disengaged from the arms by the action of the plane pick-up structure,whereby the loop is positioned for pick-up throughout travel of the carrier to the pick-up point. v

9. A system as in claim 7 characterized by means for bringing the carrier to a stop near the end of the run-way, and means, operative to form a barrier against container rise and advance in the event of failure of the plane to that the container includes a pick-up connection member integral therewith and extending upwardly from the top of the container immediate- 1y over the center of gravity of the container, said member carrying rigid means external of the member and adapted to co-operate with the plane to steady the container when the latter has been raised to the plane following the pickup operation.

' 11. In systems for the transfer of packages from a position of rest to an airplane in flight, wherein the plane carries a pick-up mechanism adapted to contact and ing plane flight, and wherein a package-supporting carrier is movable along a runway at controlled speeds in the direction of the pick-up point, said system including a package partially simulating the fuselage, wings and a stabilizing fin of an airplane and having a pick-up loop adapted to co-operate with the plane pick-up mechanism'when brought into co-operative relationship therewith, said package having the angle of incidence of its wings arranged to produce lift of the package from its carrier at a predetermined advancing speed of the package, and means for advancing the carrier with the package thereon in the direction of the pick-up point and at speeds such that as the carrier approaches the pick-up point its speed will approach the predetermined value required to render the angle of incidence active to lift the package to thereby present the package at the pick-up point under conditions where a slight increase inspeed -will render the wings active to lift thepackage from the carrier, whereby the package will remain at rest on the carrier during speed accretions of the carrier en route to the pick-up. point in providing advancing package speed at the pick-up point approaching that of the plane speed, and whereby the pick-up co-operation between the package loop and the plane pick-up mechanism will provide complete transfer of package support from carrier to plane by the slight differential in speed between plane and package at the instant of pick-up and with the load weight of the package substantially compensated by the activity of the angle ofincidence of the package wings.

12. A system as in claim 11 characterized in that the stabilizing fin of the package is rendered .active by the transfer of support to the plane and by continued plane advance to thereby supplement the angle of vincidence activity of the wings and cause substantial self-support of the package during the succeeding take up of slack and. package movement to the plane.

KURT ARNDT.

provide pick-up connection with the container pick up the package dur- 

